


The McCoy Family Reunion

by Southern_Natter



Category: Star Trek
Genre: Family Reunions, Fluff, Fluff without Plot, M/M, Meet the Family, Southern traditions, gentleman!bones
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-16
Updated: 2014-06-16
Packaged: 2018-02-04 21:37:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,594
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1793983
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Southern_Natter/pseuds/Southern_Natter
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jim and Bones go down to Georgia for the McCoy family reunion.</p>
<p>Nothing but fluff, honestly.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The McCoy Family Reunion

**Author's Note:**

> So I wanted some type of easy fanfiction to get my writing juices flowing and figured hey, why not educate people on what a traditional Southern family reunion is like while messing with Jim and Bones? I also needed to test run my characterization of Bones and Jim before I start tossing them into plots and au's. Comments are appreciated!

“Jim, put on the tie or so help me I will tie you to a chair and leave you here.”

“But Booooones-“

“Do not ‘but Bones’ at me. Put. On. The. Tie.”

“It can’t be _that_ formal.”

“How would you know? You’ve never been to one. And the tie isn’t formal. It’s traditional. Now put it on.”

Jim growled unimpressively and snatched the blue tie from Leonard’s hand. The doctor rolled his eyes and continued packing.

“If you keep acting like a child, I’ll make you sit at the kid table,” Leonard threatened, only half serious.

Jim, having fixed the tie into a somewhat passable knot, poked Leonard in the side and zipped up his suitcase. “Like your mother would let you do that.”

“You have no idea what Eleanora is like at these things. Family reunions are right under Sunday church service in her book. And with my cousin Darlene’s wedding next week, she’ll be even more wound up.”

Leonard straightened up and gave Jim an once-over. His white button-down was wrinkled, and his khakis and shoes had traces of dirt on them. How he managed to get so disheveled after having just put on his clothes was beyond Leonard; but the man was dressed and wearing his tie, so Leonard decided to leave him be. The men gathered their suitcases and headed out the door.

\---

Jim tapped his foot in a random pattern against the floor of the taxi and ran one finger across his bottom lip repeatedly, nervous habits that Leonard noticed immediately. Leonard rolled his eyes for what felt like the hundredth time that day. He considered ignoring Jim; but the kid had helped him through the flight from San Francisco to Atlanta, so he guessed it was time to return the favor.

“What’s got your boxers in a knot?” he asked, resting a hand on Jim’s bouncing knee to still it.

Jim crossed his legs, foot now bobbing in the air. “What if they don’t like me?”

Scoffing, Leonard raised both eyebrows and barely held back a laugh. “Although it’s a little too late to be worried about that, what in the world makes you think my family won’t like you?”

“I just…. I wanna make a good first impression, you know? I’m meeting your _whole_ family, Bones. That’s big.”

“Jim, trust me. You have nothing to worry about. As long as you don’t bring up politics or football, I promise that everything will be fine. You know I was just kidding with you earlier. I won’t leave you for dead with the kids, and my mom won’t actually try to maim you.” Leonard patted Jim’s cheek soothingly. “I’ve never seen you so worried about what other people might think of you.”

Jim’s grin was lopsided as he pressed his face into Leonard’s hand. “I only care when it really matters.”

“It doesn’t matter, though.”

“Then why do I have to wear a tie?”

Leonard, seeing that Jim’s bout of anxiety had passed, playfully smacked Jim’s cheek and returned to reading his book. Jim laughed and pulled out a PADD to occupy himself for the remainder of the ride to Leonard’s house.

\---

The McCoy family reunion was being held at the plantation house where Leonard had grown up and Eleanora was still residing. The house was big enough to accommodate the large family, and there was plenty of stuff to do one the beautiful peach farm. The estate was used for almost every family gathering, and Jim decided that he and Leonard were totally skipping Christmas at his boring childhood home with Winona this year in favor of Christmas at this gorgeous place.

Leonard and Jim were set up in his old bedroom on the third floor, which had the perfect view of the backyard. After unpacking, Leonard took Jim on a brief tour of the house and barn before the rest of the family arrived. Jim walked with one hand wrapped around Leonard’s elbow while the doctor talked about the estate in his thick accent, and Jim mentally noted that the whole situation was like something out of _Gone With the Wind_ , much to his delight. It was rare to see Leonard so at ease and gentlemanly, and Jim tried to soak up as much of the experience into his memory as he could to save for a rainy day.

They ran into Eleanora on the way, who showered them in kisses and scolded Leonard for not bringing Jim to visit sooner. Jim got to feed apples to Taz and Bo, Leonard’s favorite horses, and was promised a chance to ride them some time later on their vacation. By about four o’clock, cars started piling into the front yard; and Jim and Leonard headed back into the house for supper.

The kitchen was filled with casserole dishes, pies, and pitchers of sweet tea. People filed into the room to place their containers of homemade creamed corn, deviled eggs, and cornbread on the counters before heading into the living room to socialize. Eleanora, her mother, and her sister stayed behind to organize everything and set out plates and silverware while everyone else chatted in the adjacent room and children ran around laughing and playing.

Leonard initially planned on introducing Jim to each person one-by-one, but Grandma Lou and Great-Aunt Suzan quickly snatched Jim up so that they could coddle him. While talking to others, Leonard kept an eye on Jim and laughed to himself at how the soon-to-be captain of a starship was being kissed and cooed over like a baby. Jim’s face was an almost alarming shade of red, but he was smiling and seemed to be enjoying himself; so Leonard didn’t intervene. At some point, Jim had lost his tie and rolled up his sleeves, but he still looked as charming as ever. Leonard told himself that if anyone complained, he’d scold Jim; but he let him be for the time being because he knew it meant that Jim was becoming more comfortable around all of the new people.

Eleanora eventually called out that dinner was ready, and everyone moseyed into a makeshift line into the kitchen. Leonard led Jim through the maze of Tupperware and showed him which bowls would go fast because of how good they were and which he could pass on until he got seconds. They took seats close to Eleanora in the huge formal dinning room, and made easy conversation over dinner rolls and Solo cups full of ice tea. They excused themselves after dessert and shared a glass of custard on the back porch, looking up at the night sky.

“We should have big dinners like this on our ship, Bones. It’d be great for crew moral,” Jim said, resting his head on Leonard’s shoulder.

Leonard laughed. “The only food we’d have would come from a transporter; and that’s just not the same, Jim. And what would we do if, say, Klingons attacked. ‘Sorry, Mr. Klingon. The crew is having dinner right now. Try again later.’”

Shoving Leonard’s shoulder, Jim replied, “It’s a great idea, and you know it. You’re just making up reasons for it to fail because you’re jealous that you didn’t think of it first.”

“You know it wouldn’t be the same without a flock of old women fawning all over you.”

A flush spread over Jim’s face as he ducked his head bashfully. “You saw that?”

Smirking, Leonard replied, “Who didn’t?”

“I think Grandma Julie touched my butt.”

“No doubt. She’s a huge flirt, always has been. As are the rest of the older generations of McCoy women. Comes with the territory after you hit eighty.”

Jim snickered while Leonard wrapped an arm around his waist. “Is that a touch of jealousy I hear in your voice, Dr. McCoy?”

“You bet your ass it is. Did Grandpa Donald get to touch your butt? No, he didn’t. I won’t get any action at these things when I’m older.”

Smirking, Jim quietly said, “You will if you keep acting like your true Southern gentlemanly self after this trip.”

“Stop getting yourself into fights and acting like a fool, and I will, darlin’,” Leonard replied smoothly. Grinning, he pulled Jim closer and kissed the top of his head. “You tired yet?”

“What, you mean I don’t get _anything_ for behaving so well all day? You just want to go to _sleep_? Lou asked when I was going to make her grandbabies! You can’t put me through that kind of intense embarrassment for nothing, Bones! The night is still young!”

“I’m tired, Jim; and I already told you. I’ll teach you to ride a horse sometime tomorrow. Doesn’t that count as a good enough payment?”

“Teach me right after breakfast tomorrow, and you have yourself a deal.”

“Deal.”

“That’ll work as proper payment. We can go to sleep now,” Jim said happily, standing up.

Leonard chuckled softly and took Jim’s hand in his as they headed back into the house.

Eleanora found them and bid them good night as they headed to their room, soon followed by many other family members who were also heading to bed. As they settled into Leonard’s old queen size bed, Jim read a chapter from the tattered copy of _To Kill a Mockingbird_ that he found on the dresser. They fell asleep with full bellies and peaceful minds to the sounds of frogs, crickets, and cicadas singing happily from outside the open window. And although nothing truly significant happened that day, it was one of the happiest memories that both men had of each other.


End file.
